AlO-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 19, -1999 laHMs^Ttaaißk OPINION Renewable Energy Sources Now, We have a gold mine waiting for farmers and a strong security measure for our nation if we would just get to work on the development of alternative energy sources offered by the expanded use of crops. Dean Kleckner, president of the American Farm Bureau said it last week while speaking to a Senate panel. "We can and we should look to the future with the goal in mind that we have the means and the will to fashion new energy sources that are renewable, environmentally sound and domestic in origin," Kleckner said. He was testifying at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing to examine renewable energy legislation. The National Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals Act would authorize research to develop fuels and chemicals from a wide variety of plants, trees, grasses and agricultural residues. Producing fuels from plants and agricultural residues would offer fanners some much-needed hope. Our rural economy needs a boost. But even more important in this consideration —to produce fuel from our domestic renewable resources would move us away from our dependency on foreign oil controlled by the enemies of our country. And the environment would be saved because trees and plants grow again.. When oil is taken out of the ground a natural resource is depleted never to appear again. We can only hope the political agendas will be put aside so the program to develop domestic renewable energy resources can move forward. Now! Editor: The difference between impossible and possible lies in a person’s determination. It was a year ago that my determination was fulfilled by gaining the reign of SUN Area Dairy Princess. It’s June again - the only month dedicated to thanking the dairy farmers for all they do all year round!! On June 12, I crowned the new 25th SUN Area Dairy Princess! This moment was a sad but a happy time. The privi lege of representing the dairy industry this year has been extraordinary and hard to put into words. Over this past year I have traveled approximately 3,160 miles between Snyder, Union, Montour, and Northumberland. I have done 44 school promo tions, 23 radio spots, printed 21 newspaper articles, 15 non-farm occasions, 9 farm occasions, 20 store/mall promotions, and 23 special events. Each one has been different and has brought lots of memories to cherish! When I started this year, I started with a smile! As the close of my reign comes about, I leave with an accomplished smile. - Throughout this year there are many people to thank. First, would be God for giving me the opportunity to accomplish what I did. Second, would be my fami ly and friends for being there when I wasn’t or being there when I doubted myself, and a separate thank you needs to go out to my younger brother Kyle. If you get a chance to talk to him he’ll probably tell you he could count the number of days I was ❖ Farm Forum ❖ out to the bam on his toes! Next, I have to thank my committee for support, ideas, a chance to make a difference, and putting up with my hectic sched ule. Then I need to thank the farmers for giving me a chance to promote an outstanding industry. Without hard working, dedicated, honorable, and respectable people like you we would not have the world we live in today! Last but most certain ly not least I have to thank my • court. They were great to work with. In closing, the only difference in impossible and possible lies in each person’s determination, so ALWAYS put your best foot for ward and give your ALL. Or you’ll never know where life will take you! Good Luck in whatev er you do! Lisa Heimbach Mt. Pleasant Mills Saturday. June 19 National Holstein Convention, Boise, Idaho, thru June 22. State Horticultural Association Pennsylvania Summer Tour To Nova Scotia, leaves Harrisburg Airport 6:40 a.m., arrives Hali fax, Nova Scotia, 1:35 p.m., thru June 22. Safe Kids Fair, Washington Mall, Washington, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Warren County Dairy Princess To Look At Precision Farming To lake the first step toward precision farming you do not need high costing equipment like GPS, computers and yield monitors, according to Robert Anderson, Lancaster County Extension Agronomy Agent. While these items are all nice to have and play with, they are not the first step in precision farming. They are several steps down the road. To be effective, precision farming should begin with integrated crop management (ICM). ICM will provide information for intensive management without a computer. ICM is based on long standing best management practices that reduce risk by determining the minimum amount of inputs needed in crop production while maximizing yields. To Learn Integrated Crop Management Robert Anderson, Lancaster County Extension Agronomy Agent, reports the major elements of integrated crop management (ICM) include: thorough crop production and protection planning, crop rotations, tillage management, nutrient testing of soils, nutrient testing of bio-solids (manure included) applied to the land, credits for the nutrients in the bio-solids and legume crops, scouting for weeds, insects and diseases, keeping accurate field records and analyzzing these field based record when making management decisions. ICM requires the producer to increase their management skills and knowledge base about crop production. The knowledge base is generated from on farm or site specific observations by the farmer or the farmer's crop paid consultant. The major advantage of ICM is it reduces inputs of nutrients and pesticides. The conventional system of soil testing takes several samples across the production unit (field) ❖ Farm Calendars Pageant, Warren 4-H Center, Pittsfield. Franklin County DHIA picnic, Para Dice Farm, Larry and Roger Dice, Chambcrsburg, 7 p.m. Second Annual First State Lives tock Jackpot Show, Delaware * < (Turn to Pago A 34) and assumes they are representative of the entire field. Soil testing in the ICM system is based on observations in the field for changes in soil type, soil slope and crop production. Pesticide applications are based on observations that allow the farmer to apply pesticides where the pest exists rather than to entire field. To Follow 29 Steps Last week's column has generated the most comments I have received in a long time, including my Dad. From Phillip Kimmel of Keystone Farm Credit, I learned Richard Wtybright has just returned from the Czech Republic visiting dairy operations there. The Czech government has published Mr. Waybright's "29 Steps to Better Dairying" and distributed it to their dairy industry. As a result, the Czech RETURN TO FOLLY June 27,1999 Background Scripture: Genesis 6:5 through 9:17 Devotional Reading: Deuteronomy 7:7-11 When I read the scriptural passages for this week, I remem bered the theme that Winston Churchill inscribed in Triumph and Tragedy, the final volume in his remarkable history of the Second World War: How the Great Democracies Triumphed and so Were Able to Resume the Follies Which Had So Nearly Cost Them Their Life For those of us who remem ber World War II and have wit nessed what has taken place in the world in 43 years since its close, the words seem ominously prophetic. It does seem at time that we worked so hard, fought so tenaciously and sacrificed so much only to resume the follies which brought us to war in the first place. FROM CRISIS TO CRISIS This, of course, is hardly a surprise to those of us who read history. It is the story of the world from ancient time to the present; surviving one crisis and then planting the seeds of the next one. Each time, we think if we can only get through this one, we will never find ourselves in this situation again. But gen eration after generation lives from one crisis to another, usual ly of our own making. While I don’t believe the unchanging, unchangeable God of creation actually “was sorry that he had made man on the earth” (can God make mis takes?), I can understand why it is said “it grieved him to his heart” (6:6). The writer of Genesis here has a hopeless task in that he is trying to express in human emotions the mind of God. He is trying to illustrate the Great Flood as the conse quence of the sin and folly of everyone—with the exception of Noah. The rest of humanity was depraved and they seemed to go from bad to worse. “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” (6:8). During World War II our dairy industry is rapidly growing and becoming very competitive in Europe. It is amazing how the developing countries are coming to the United States to learn our agricultural production system. Similar to what we did in the 1860's to leam the agricultural sciences from the European universities. If we are to remain the world leader in agricultural production, we need to continue to look for ways to become better and continue to change our operations as new technology is developed. You might want to review last week's column and start implementing those management suggestions. If you don't, your competition will. Feather Prof, 's Footnote: "We become successful by helping others become successful." world seemed aptly described by the story of Noah: “For the earth is filled with violence” (6:13). But that is a fairly accurate description of the world at many times in its existence, including today. Corruption, depravity, licentiousness, cruelty, deceit and lying are all too prevalent in our society—at the bottom as well as at the top. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves about the consequences of the way we live today. A DIFFERENT WORLD I have been reading an inter esting book entitled, How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill (Doubleday). It is a historian’s account of how a small group of Irish monks took up the labor of copying all of Western literature they could find to preserve it in this most desperate time when the great Roman Empire collapsed under the weight of barbarian invasion bringing in the Dark Ages. Without this effort by the Irish monks, Cahill says “their world would have been an entirely dif ferent one—a world without books. And our own world would never have come to be. In a sense, the Irish monks by the grace of God provided a Noah’s ark to preserve civiliza tion a time comparable to the Great Flood. There have been many times in the history of the world when this same phenome non has prevailed. I do not think it chance, but Divine providence. Perhaps it is the continuing ful fillment of God’s pledge to Noah: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all genera tions: I set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth” (9:12). As we approach the year 2,000 there are many dire pre dictions of the end of the world. We need to look at the rainbow and remind ourselves of God’s everlasting covenant. There will always be an awesome price for human folly, but God’s redeem ing love is even greater. Lancaster Farming Established 1955 Published Every Saturday Ephrata Review Building 1 E. Main St.- Ephrata, PA 17522 -by Lancaster Farming, Inc. A Stemman Enteipnse William J. Burgess General Manager Everett R. Newswanger Editor Copyright 1999 by Lancaster Farming
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers